THE IONIA COUNTY PEACE COMMUNITY/LA COMUNIDAD de PAZ DEL CONDADO de IONIA welcomes volunteers of all ages who are interested in events and activities that promote a Beloved Community (www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy) where we recognize our
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THE IONIA COUNTY PEACE COMMUNITY/LA COMUNIDAD de PAZ DEL CONDADO de IONIA welcomes volunteers of all ages who are interested in events and activities that promote a Beloved Community (www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy) where we recognize our interdependence and use our diversity and different gifts to enrich the whole.

For more information or to become a member, email ioniacountypeace@gmail.com, call 616-527-7163 or like us on Facebook. Visit our website at ioniacountypeacecommunity.org.

By Karen MerchantI am an unabashed cat lover! I admit it! I love their furry little faces. I love the way they cuddle and purr when you pet them. I love how they come to your voice when you call them. I love their aloofness (is that a word?!).My desk boasts two cat plaques. One says "I purr, therefore I am" and the other says "All you need is LOVE (and a cat)". There are cat "things" around my house including a real live CAT! His name is "Boot" because he is velvety grey with three white toes and one foot with the white all the way up to his knee, kind of like a "boot"! (Get it?) In the 13 years that we have lived in this house we have lived the cat life with 7 ½ cats! The ½ cat is a stray that lives out doors next to his little house Ben built for him and his bowl of food! Over the years we have lost 6 cats and now we are a one and a ½ cat family! I am also a Tiger fan! Have been all of my life and always will be! It all started with my dad listening to the Tiger games in the summer, in the dark, on the porch at our house in Edmore. We would sit and listen to Ernie Harwell and George Kell tell it like it was on the field at Briggs Stadium. Does that bring back some wonderful memories? My dad decided that we needed to go to a real live Tiger game so we loaded up the car and headed to Detroit. We were sitting there and I was bored silly! No one was telling me what was going on! Where were Ernie and George? Oh, well it was still a good day. I only had enough money to buy one bobble head doll so I bought one and named him "Normal Cashline" after the two great Tigers that I had been hearing about on the radio for the longest time. Did you get it? (Norm Cash and Al Kaline) Well, I truly am dating myself but, hey, they are my memories! Now I get to sit with my little cat, Boot, and watch my big cats, the Tigers!Can't get any better than that! You may ask, what does this have to do with PEACE? Well, PEACE is in the heart and mind and I am truly at PEACE when both of my cat worlds co-exist! PEACE be with you and GO TIGERS!!!!_______________KAREN MERCHANT retired in 2005 after 30 years as a teacher at Palo Community Schools. She now fills her time with volunteering for many organizations. Karen has been a member of the Ionia County Peace Community since its inception.